Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 120 (Wednesday, September 29, 2004)

[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 120 (Wednesday, September 29, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7814-H7818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

GARZA-VELA UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1402) to designate a United States courthouse in
Brownsville, Texas, as the ``Garza-Vela United States Courthouse,'' as
amended.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 1402

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

The United States courthouse located at the corner of
Seventh Street and East Jackson Street in Brownsville, Texas,
shall be known and designated as the ``Reynaldo G. Garza and
Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse''.

SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the United States
courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a
reference to the ``Reynaldo G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela
United States Courthouse''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1402 introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Ortiz) designates the United States courthouse located in Brownsville,
Texas, as the Reynaldo G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela United States
Courthouse.
This legislation honors two men who were pioneers, as well as
judicial giants, yet at the same time two men who made time for family
and community.
Reynaldo Guerra Garza was born in Brownsville, Texas in 1915 and
spent his lifetime working in and serving that community as an attorney
in the Army Air Corps and as a Federal judge committed to protecting
the rights of legal immigrants.
President Kennedy appointed Judge Garza to the U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of Texas in 1961. At that time, Judge Garza
became the first Mexican American on any U.S. District Court. In 1979,
when President Jimmy Carter appointed Judge Garza to the Fifth Circuit
Court of Appeals, he became the first Mexican American to gain that
honor as well.
Filemon Bartolome Vela was born in Arlington, Texas in 1936 and
attended the Harlingen public schools. Like Judge Garza, he dedicated
his life to South Texas, first as a State judge, and then as a Federal
judge, taking over the seat vacated by Judge Garza upon his appointment
to the circuit court of appeals.
Judge Vela is perhaps best known in the community for his work with
the schools, speaking to children on career days and encouraging youth
to get an education by supporting literacy programs.
Each of these gentleman succumbed to their illnesses in the past
year. This naming is a fitting tribute to their dedicated service. I
urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
I also want to recognize my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Ortiz), for his dedication in bringing this legislation to the floor. I
thank him for ensuring that these men are recognized for their service.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Ms. NORTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I join with Mr. Ortiz of Brownsville, Texas,
in supporting H.R. 1402, a bill to name the courthouse in Brownsville,
Texas as the Reynaldo G. Garza--Filemon B. Vela United States
Courthouse.
Mr. Speaker, this bill honors the life and works of two extraordinary
Mexican-Americans. Judge Reynaldo Garza was born in Brownsville in
1915. He graduated from local elementary schools as well as Brownsville
High School. After graduating from Brownsville Junior College he
attended the University of Texas where he received a combined degree of
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law.
Judge Garza served his country during World War II in the Air Force.
After the war he returned to Brownsville to practice law.
In 1961 President Kennedy appointed Judge Garza to the District Court
for the Southern

[[Page H7815]]

District of Texas. In 1979 President Carter appointed him to the United
States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
In addition to his judicial duties Judge Garza has long been
interested in education issues. He served former Governors John
Connally and Governor Mark White on commissions to improve the quality
of education in Texas. Judge Garza recognized the importance of
education in judicial proceedings and his concern for the uneducated
man at the mercy of unscrupulous people.
Judge Garza was very active in his church, and has served the Knights
of Columbus in the Brownsville area for many years. Pope Pious XII
twice decorated Judge Garza for his work in behalf of Catholic
Charities. In 1989 Judge Garza was honored by the University of Texas
with the Distinguished Alumnus award.
His record of public service includes work with the Rotary Club, the
Latin-American Relation Committee of Brownsville, trustee at his law
school, advisory council for the Boy Scouts, and he was elected as City
Commissioner of the City of Brownsville.
It is fitting and proper to honor Judge Garza's outstanding, rich
life, his commitment to excellence, and his numerous public
contributions.
Judge Filemon Vela was also a native Texas and a veteran of the
United States Army. He attended Texas Southmost College, and the
University of Texas. His law degree is from St. Mary's School of Law in
San Antonio.
Judge Vela served as a Commissioner of the City of Brownsville. He
was an active member of the Judges Advisory Committee to the U.S.
Sentencing Commission. Judge Vela is a former law instructor, and an
attorney for the Cameron County Child Welfare Department.
His civil activities include being the charter President for the
Esperanza Home for Boys, and co-sponsor of the Spanish Radio Program
``Enrich your Life, Complete your Studies,'' Judge Vela's other civic
activities include membership on the Independent School District Task
Force, and membership in the General Assembly of the Texas Catholic
Conference. He is also an active member of the Lions Club.
Judge Vela was nominated by President Carter for the Federal bench
and was confirmed by the United States Senate in 1980.
Judge Vela's career was filled with successes, commitment to his
family, devotion to his religion and his church, love for his work and
respect for his colleagues. It is most fitting to honor Judge Vela with
this designation.
I join Congressman Ortiz in supporting H.R. 1402.
Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the hard work of the author of this
bill who brought this bill forward, I yield such time as he may consume
to my good friend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz).
(Mr. ORTIZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks, and include extraneous material.)
Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank very much the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. LaTourette) for bringing this bill to the floor, as well as the
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), the gentleman
from Tennessee (Chairman Duncan), the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman
Young), the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar)
and members of the staff for quickly bringing this bill to the floor.
I also want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) and the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez) for also speaking on this matter.
Mr. Speaker, today we are passing long overdue legislation that names
the United States Federal Courthouse in Brownsville, Texas, the
Reynaldo G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse. Earlier
this year, Judge Vela sadly passed away, and 2 weeks ago Judge Garza
also passed away, leaving behind two distinct and honorable legacies in
South Texas.
These two men were judicial stalwarts. Individually, they were
trailblazers, pioneers, and an inspiration for many Hispanics,
particularly Mexican Americans from the Rio Grande Valley. Together
they are an enormous wealth of riches we want to forever remember.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the House for their action on this bill, and ask
that we pass it unanimously
Mr. Speaker, I provide the following for the Record:

Quorum Report

Brownsville native described as trailblazer, judicial legend

Tributes have been pouring in for Judge Reynaldo Garza, the
nation's first Hispanic federal judge. The Brownsville native
and son of Mexican immigrants died Tuesday at the age of 89
after battling pneumonia.
President Kennedy appointed Garza to the federal judgeship
in 1961. President Carter appointed him to the 5th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals. In between, he turned down an
opportunity to be Attorney General under President Johnson
because he liked being a federal judge and did not want to be
away from his family.
``Judge Garza was a trailblazer, a pioneer who set the
stage for all those that followed,'' said state Sen. Eddie
Lucio (D-Brownsville). ``He was a man of great stature. He
lived life as he preached it, as a devout Christian. He had a
tremendous work ethic and was an inspirational speaker. He
gave you a big grin that made you feel good. You just knew he
cared.''
Lucio said he knew Garza all his life. Garza officiated
when Lucio took his oath of office as Cameron County
Treasurer in 1971.
``I remember seeing him around the county courthouse when I
was a young boy and he was still practicing law,'' Lucio
recalled. ``I am proud to say that he and my father were the
two most influential men in my life. He preached Americanism
and patriotism.''
U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Corpus Christi) said South Texas
has lost a friend, pioneer, hero and judicial legend with his
passing.
``Judge Garza became a legend in the South Texas area by
virtue of his commitment to education, community and family .
. . and in the evenhandedness of how he dispensed justice,''
Ortiz said.
``Judge Garza's wit, workhorse energy, pointed candor, and
razor sharp focus on questions of law won him an amazing
number of fans in Washington and elsewhere in the legal/
judicial establishment.''
Ortiz said Garza's granddaughter had worked as an intern in
his Capitol Hill office this summer. Ortiz said he was
working in Congress to name the new federal courthouse in
Brownsville partially in his honor.
``I have talked to members on the Committee where the bill
is being held, appealing for them to move quickly to pass
this bill. Its rapid passage would be a great tribute to
Judge Garza's life work,'' Ortiz said.
Garza's funeral is scheduled for Saturday at the Fort Brown
Memorial Center in Brownsville.
____

[From the Brownsville Herald, Sept. 15, 2004]

Nation's First Mexican-American District Judge Dies of Pneumonia

(By Laura B. Martinez)

U.S. Circuit Judge Reynaldo G. Garza, the nation's first
Mexican-American district judge, died Tuesday at a
Brownsville hospital. He was 89.
Garza died at 9:40 a.m. at Valley Baptist Medical Center-
Brownsville, formerly Brownsville Medical Center, surrounded
by his family, according to his son Reynaldo G. Garza Jr. The
judge died of pneumonia. He had been battling the illness
since July 11.
``He had gone home for 10 days and had a relapse,'' Garza
Jr. said.
``Pneumonia is a tough thing for an 89-year-old to beat and
his body finally gave up.''
As recently as Sunday, Judge Garza was still mentally
alert, his son said.
Up until last month, Judge Garza's law clerks were still
bringing work to his home and the hospital.
``He would read over the papers and sign whatever was
necessary,'' Garza Jr. said, ``He was sharp enough to still
be working.
``He was physically in bad shape, but mentally he was still
in very good shape.''
Judge Garza is survived by his wife, Bertha Champion Garza;
five children, Reynaldo G. Garza Jr., David C. Garza, Ygnacio
P. Garza, Bertha Garza Elizondo and Monica Garza; 12
grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
He was nominated to the bench by President John F. Kennedy
in March of 1961 and confirmed by the Senate in April 1961
for the Southern District of Texas. He was nominated to the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit by President
Carter in April 1979 and confirmed by the Senate in July
1979. He assumed senior status in July 1982.
In 1977, the Brownsville school district honored Garza by
naming an elementary school after him. There's also a school
in McAllen named for him as well.
In 2003, U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, renewed
his efforts to get the new federal courthouse partially named
after Garza and the late senior U.S. District Judge Filemon
B. Vela.
Vela died in April of stomach cancer. He was 68.
The bill is pending.
Former Brownsville Mayor Blanca S. Vela said Tuesday that
Garza had been something of a father figure to her late
husband.
When her husband Judge Vela died in April, Garza took the
loss very hard. The two had been close friends, she said.
``They were close with each other for years. He was in
tears,'' Blanca Vela said. ``I went to his house to console
him.
``The judge was an inspiration to my husband. My husband
though very much of him as a father,'' after his own father
died more than 10 years ago, she said.
The two families had been friends for more than 30 years.
The two met when Judge Vela was a practicing attorney and
Judge Garza was on the bench.
``It's a loss in the field of law, for justice, fairness
and equality and all those virtues that he had and was so
supportive of,'' Blanca Vela said. ``I'm saddened to hear
about his death.''
Garza touched many in the legal community, both
professionally and personally.

[[Page H7816]]

Undeterred by his illness, he officiated the swearing in of
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa in McAllen as
chairman of the federal sentencing commission. The ceremony
was performed in Garza's hospital room in Brownsville on Aug.
3, Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa met Garza when he was on the bench at the federal
courthouse in Brownsville. The two courtrooms were located on
the same floor.
``Judge Garza was a great mentor and immediately made me
feel at home . . . he was always ready to provide advice in
counsel,'' Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa said he has admired Garza since he was a boy. He
remembers attending naturalization ceremonies in Starr
County, which Garza presided over.
``I remember sitting there and not realizing that someday I
would be working on the same floor as he did,'' Hinjosa said.
``He's an example of anything that is possible in this great
country.
``The rest of us have come along after him because he
opened doors for us. He opened doors that remain open for the
rest of us.''
Students and staff at Reynaldo G. Garza Elementary School
were informed of the judge's death Tuesday afternoon.
``Judge Reynaldo G. Garza has been an incredibly positive
role model for the students at Garza Elementary since the
school's inception in 1977,'' Principal Cesar Martinez said.
``The entire administration, staff, student body and
community have his family in their thoughts.''
Judge Garza and his family were actively involved at the
school, showing up on the campus to read to the students
during National Reading month, and helping out with fund-
raisers, Martinez said.
The school will have a remembrance ceremony for the judge
on Sept. 24. Details are pending.
School officials had planned to have a TAKS or Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills testing rally on that
date, but opted to change the rally to a service instead.
News of Garza's death brought Brownsville resident Joe C.
Wolfe to tears Tuesday. Wolfe said Garza was a guest speaker
at a Veterans for Foreign Wars event in 1990. Wolfe was the
commander post captain in Brownsville at that time.
After watching a television news broadcast, Wolfe, 78, went
outside and lowered the U.S. Flag posted in front of his home
to half-staff.
``He's my hero,'' an emotional Wolfe said. ``He'll go down
in history. I'm proud, because of him.''
Funeral services are under the direction of Darling Mouser
Funeral Home. Preliminary plans include family visitations at
5 p.m. Friday at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1914 Barnard
Road, followed by a rosary at 7 p.m.
A funeral Mass is tentatively set for 10 a.m. Saturday at
Jacob Brown Auditorium with burial to follow at Buena Vista
Burial Park.
____

[From the Rio Grande Valley Bureau]

(By Mariano Castillo)

McALLEN.--Reynaldo Garza, a senior judge on the U.S. Fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals and the first Mexican American
appointed to the federal bench, died Tuesday in a Brownsville
hospital at 89.
A native of Brownsville, Garza was described as an
inspiration for generations of Hispanics, particularly
Mexican Americans from the Rio Grande Valley.
He'd been battling pneumonia for more than a month.
``He was truly one of the greats of the area,'' said U.S.
District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa of McAllen, a longtime
friend. ``We followed his path after he was the first to walk
through that door.''
Hinojosa recalled the awe he felt when as a boy he watched
Garza officiate at a naturalization ceremony. More than 20
years later, when he and Garza presided over similar
ceremonies together, ``it always took me back,'' he said.
But the judge said Garza's influence transcended race and
region, adding: ``He was a role model for all federal judges
in this country.''
President John F. Kennedy appointed Garza to the federal
bench in 1961. In 1979, President Carter named him to the New
Orleans-based appeals court, which has jurisdiction over
federal cases in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
People from all backgrounds respected Garza for being
accessible yet sophisticated, U.S. District Judge George
Kazan of Laredo said.
``He's one of those guys that you talk about that can be
just at ease with a president as with an undocumented alien
because he just had a good touch with people,'' Kazen said.
U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, said he'd try
once again to pass a bill to rename the federal courthouse in
Brownsville in Garza's honor.
Garza recalled turning down an offer by Carter to be U.S.
attorney general so he could remain in the Valley.
Garza's parents were from Matamoros, Mexico.
The sixth of eight children, Garza was born July 7, 1915,
and attended junior college in Brownsville, graduating in
1935. He was a laborer for the Works Progress Administration
to pay for his studies at the University of Texas at Austin,
where he obtained a law degree. He started a law practice in
Brownsville.
He ran for the school board and city commission. During
World War II he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was an
established lawyer by the time Vice President Lyndon B.
Johnson recommended him to Kennedy for the federal judgeship.
``I always said I hope I got the appointment because I was
qualified, not because I'm Mexican American, but I knew I had
to do a good job or else my actions would reflect not only on
my ability, but also that of other Mexican Americans,'' Garza
said in ``All Rise,'' a biography written by Brownsville
native Louise Ann Fisch.
Fisch, who now lives in Maryland, said Garza ``never lost
his small town origins and he could bridge the gap between
the Anglo and Mexican cultures.''
The cases he presided over as a federal judge in the 1960s
and 1970s included several that contributed to the civil
rights changes of the era, such as challenges to a racially
segregated union and the suspension of a public school
student for passing out anti-war leaflets during the Vietnam
War.
Garza worked during his retirement years, and from his
hospital bed, he administered the oath of office for Hinojosa
to chair the U.S. Sentencing Commission as seven friends and
witnesses crowded into the room Aug. 3.
``It is unfortunate in some respects that so few people,
unless they were close to him, have a sense of what a pioneer
and what a leader he was--not only in the legal field but in
the community in terms of the charitable,'' said U.S.
Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza, who is not related to the
judge. ``He was there doing things when other folks were not
even imagining them. He has, and it should be recognized, a
huge legacy.''
Visitation will be Friday at 5 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic
Church in Brownsville, with a rosary at 7 p.m.
The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. at the
Fort Brown Memorial Center in Brownsville. He'll be buried in
Buena Vista Cemetery.
Garza is survived by his wife, Bertha; five children; 12
grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
____

[From the Brownsville Herald, Sept. 19, 2004]

Judicial Trailblazer: Judge Garza Laid to Rest

(By Ildefonso Ortiz)

Hundreds gathered Saturday to bid farewell to a judicial
pioneer.
U.S. Circuit Court Judge Reynaldo Garza, the nation's first
Mexican-American district judge, was laid to rest Saturday as
family, friends and colleagues wiped tears from their faces.
But even in their sorrow, mourners could not help but smile
as they watched a video of Garza recalling some of his
memorable moments from a legendary career on the bench.
``I had a young man from a well-known family in Donna and I
sentenced him to five years. I was going to give him probate,
but the poor lad fainted before I had the chance,'' Garza
said, chuckling. ``After they revived him I suspended the
sentence and gave him probation.''
Garza's chuckle lightened the mood--something he did
countless times in life, according to his son Ignacio. Even
in Garza's last days, he maintained his sense of humor.
``He began to plan,'' the son said. ``He said, `don't bury
me for three or four days. I want to give time for my law
clerks to be there.' If he ever figures out how to use a
phone in heaven he will call those who didn't come.''
Judging by the overflowing crowd at the Mass and burial,
Garza won't have many phone calls to make.
Senators, federal judges and other well-wishers crammed
inside Jacob Brown Auditorium for a morning Mass and paid
their final respects to Garza at Buena Vista Cemetery.
President Bush also offered his condolences in a video
message played after the Mass.
``Those of us who are from Texas are proud to say we are
both Texans,'' Bush said. ``We will honor his memory today.''
Judge Garza died of pneumonia on Tuesday after battling the
illness since July 11. He was 89.
Garza was appointed to the bench in March 1961 by President
John F. Kennedy, who nominated him for the Southern District
of Texas. Garza was nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeal for
the Fifth Circuit by President Carter in March 1979 and the
Senate confirmed the nomination in July. Three years later he
assumed senior status.
During Saturday's Mass, Monsignor Gustavo Barrera took to
the podium to talk about Garza's unbreakable faith, as Bishop
Raymundo Pena sprinkled ritual incense throughout the altar.
``When he was able, he was at daily Mass,'' Barrera said as
he looked at the sea of people holding back tears. ``He was
with his family, at the bench or at church.''
Barrera said the judge had a gift to help those who needed
it most.
``He had the light of Christ in him,'' he said, ``and he
could see the light of Christ in other people.''
After Mass, dozens of vehicles lined the streets of
Brownsville as they followed Garza to his final resting place
at Buena Vista Cemetery. More than 40 law enforcement
officers escorted the procession to the cemetery as a Border
Patrol helicopter hovered above.
The mourners were greeted by dozens of flower arrangements,
creating a 5-foot wall that served as a background for the
burial ceremony.

[[Page H7817]]

There, they bid farewell to the judge.
``Judge Garza, he was a wonderful mentor to me and to many
of my colleagues,'' said U.S. Circuit Court Judge Hilda
Tagle. ``He was devoted to his family and he was loved by
all.''
Juliet V. Garcia, president of the University of Texas at
Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, said Garza was a
good friend.
``He was a simple, man, he was a friend to all and we will
miss him,'' she said.
Even those who had not met the judge attended the burial to
pay respects.
``He was a good person, he did a lot of good for people,''
said Cervando Cardenas. ``I lived a few blocks from the
school with his name (Garza Elementary), my kids went there
and I had to come say goodbye.''

[From the Brownsville Herald, Apr. 14, 2004]

Judge Filemon Vela Loses Battle With Stomach Cancer

Senior U.S. District Judge Filemon B. Vela, one of
Brownsville's most notable figures, died Tuesday at a
Harlingen hospital. He was 68.
Vela died at 12:33 p.m. in the emergency room at Valley
Baptist Medical Center, said hospital spokesman Mike Swartz.
The judge had been on an airplane Tuesday en route from
Houston, where he had been undergoing treatment for stomach
cancer at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, said his son Filemon
Vela Jr.
``My father fought a very courageous battle with cancer,
and this morning, he was returning for further treatment, and
after landing in this place that he loved so dearly, he
passed away in peace,'' he said.
``On behalf of our father and our family, I would like to
thank all of our friends for their phone calls, their visits,
their thoughts and prayers.''
Judge Vela was married to former Brownsville Mayor Blanca
Sanchez Vela. They had three children.
Viewings will be held from 7 to 9 a.m. Thursday and Friday
at the Brownsville Events Center on Paredes Line Road. A
prayer service will follow Thursday's viewing; funeral
services will begin at 9 a.m. Friday under the direction of
Darling Mouser Funeral Home in Brownsville.
Vela, a Harlingen native, served as a federal judge from
1980 to 2000 when he retired and received senior status.
As a senior judge, Vela traveled through the Southern
District of Texas Region relieving the load of district
judges hearing cases in Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo.
``Judge Vela was a great man. That's something you hear
about a lot of people, but it's really true with him,'' said
U.S. Magistrate John William Black of Brownsville, who first
met Vela in 1965 when both were practicing attorneys.
``He had a lot of people appear before him but he never let
himself be jaded by the fact he had handled so many cases,''
Black said.
``He looked at people as people, not as numbers or
statistics.
``He was truly a great man and will be missed.''
Vela graduated from St. Mary's School of Law in San Antonio
in 1962. He practiced law in Harlingen and Brownsville from
1962 to 1974.
He served on the Brownsville City Commission from 1971 to
1973. He was a state district judge in Cameron County from
1975 to 1980.
In 1980, he was a candidate for the federal bench. U.S.
Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas, and former President Jimmy
Carter nominated him. At the same time he was confirmed by
the Senate as U.S. district judge for the Southern District
of Texas.
In 2000, Vela opted to take senior status instead of
retiring at age 65.
News of Vela's death spread quickly through the Southern
District of Texas' U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts.
The region covers the area from Houston to Brownsville.
``It's a very big personal loss, because he was a very good
friend and a teacher and aide with regards to my taking on
the role as a judge 21 years ago,'' said U.S. District Judge
Ricardo Hinojosa of McAllen.
Hinojosa worked with Vela for more than four years in
Brownsville federal courts before transferring to the McAllen
federal courthouse.
``He would often joke with people that he and I were
appointed by presidents from different parties but that when
it came to judging we were one, because our constitution and
our laws don't have partisan flavor,'' Hinojosa said.
Former President Ronald Reagan appointed Hinojosa.
It was just two months ago Vela was handling cases in
federal court, Hinojosa said.
``He was still offering help as he always did.''
Black said Vela was instrumental in getting a new federal
courthouse built in Brownsville.
``He was the one that carried all of the water and did all
the things that needed to be done to get it to happen,''
Black said. The U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building at Sixth
and East Harrison streets was opened in 2001.
In 2003, U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi,
renewed his efforts to get the new federal courthouse
partially named after Vela and U.S. District Judge Reynaldo
Garza.
This bill is pending.
About five years ago, the bill passed in the House but
stalled in the U.S. Senate.
``South Texas lost a legend today with the passing of Judge
Filemon Vela,``Oritz said in a prepared statement. ``He was
my friend, he was a hero and he was a judicial giant in the
Rio Grande Valley.''
Federal public defender Roland Dahlin of Houston said
attorneys in Houston were sadden by the news of the judge's
death. Many had worked with him on federal cases.
Beside attending court, Judge Vela routinely visited area
schools, encouraging children to continue their education and
to stay away from drugs.
He often administered the oath of citizenship to new U.S.
citizens at citizenship ceremonies held across the Valley.
``He touched everybody in this city in his own way,'' said
Raul Besteiro, Port of Brownsville director and a former
colleague of Vela's at The University of Texas at Austin.
``He was always available to do things for people. He had a
heart that was bigger than anybody else,'' Besteiro said.
``He did a great job with his family and his kids. And he
was very proud that his wife (Blanca S. Vela) was mayor of
this community.
``All I can say, he's passed the baton to us, and we have
to make sure you put that baton ahead.''
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, described Vela as ``a
steadfast advocate for the rule of law.''
``His leadership will be missed along the border and across
the state,'' she said.
In lieu of flowers the Vela family asks that donations be
made to the Vela Middle School Scholarship Fund 4905 Paredes
Line Road, Brownsville, Texas 78520.
____

[From the Brownsville Herald]

Family, friends pay respect to Judge Vela

(By Laura B. Martinez)

Carlos Vela stopped speaking in mid-sentence and listened
to a student mariachi group play a tune.
Vela's eyes welled up. ``That was his favorite song,'' he
said. The song was ``Laureles,'' a favorite of his brother,
the late U.S. District Judge Filemon B. Vela.
Judge Vela died Tuesday, soon after arriving home from
Houston where he was treated for stomach cancer. He was 68.
The University of Texas at Brownville and Texas Southmost
College Mariachi Escorpion performed the melody Thursday at
the Brownsville Events Center, where a viewing was held for
Judge Vela's body. A funeral service and burial is set for
today.
The music was overwhelming for Carlos Vela, who listened
briefly then walked to the main room at the Events Center.
``All the Velas like mariachi music,'' he said before
slowly walking away.
Hundreds of mourners filed into the center to pay respect
to the judge who has been referred to as a South Texas
legend.
Many of those who attended Thursday's service worked at the
U.S. District Courthouse in Brownsville, where Vela held
court.
``He was a wonderful man,'' said Belia Zepeda, who works
for the U.S. Marshals Service in Brownsville. ``He was so
respected, and everybody looked up to him.''
While many attending Thursday's prayer service knew him as
Judge Vela, to his nieces and nephews he was ``Tio Filo.''
``He was my uncle, my godfather and most importantly, my
friend,'' said Manny Vela, one of the judge's numerous nieces
and nephews.
Manny Vela said his uncle did not care whether someone was
rich or poor, the color of one's skin or if an individual had
a title with his or her name.
``He treated people with the respect and dignity that they
were due,'' he said.
``I was blessed to be raised among giants. All my life I've
been surrounded by family members living larger than life--
people who do the right thing for the right reasons.''
Also speaking at Thursday's service was Chief District
Judge Hayden W. Head Jr. of Corpus Christi.
Head said he met Judge Vela in 1981 and formed a close
friendship with him.
``Judge Vela was a wise judge who knew the law and knew it
well,'' Head said. ``But there was more to the senior judge.
``He had that connection with people. . . . He was
compassionate when compassion was required and firm when it
was needed.''
____

South Texas Lost a Good Man With the Death of Judge Filemon Vela

U.S. District Judge Filemon Vela died at noon Tuesday as
his plane landed at Valley International Airport in
Harlingen. Judge Vela was stricken with stomach cancer two
months ago and had been in treatment at M.D. Anderson
Hospital in Houston since that time.
Judge Vela was a fair but strict judge who enforced this
country's laws and sent thousands of criminal defendants to
prison during his 29 years on the bench.
He was born in Harlingen in 1935 and lived with his parents
and brothers, Moises, Robert and Carlos and his sister, who
helped raise him after the death of his mother. His father
was a notary public and had his office in the same building
where the family ran a small grocery. The Vela family lived
in Fair Park on the west side of Harlingen.
Moises and Carlos are also attorneys and Moises is a former
Cameron County Judge and Harlingen municipal judge. Moises'
son, Manny, is Cameron County Democratic Party Chairman.
Judge Vela was no product of affirmative action. His
character was molded by his father who insisted that his
children get an education. When St. Anthony Catholic

[[Page H7818]]

School opened, in 1948, Filemon and Carlos were among the
first students signed up.
Filemon Vela graduated from Harlingen High School in 1954
and became a student at Texas Southmost College, Brownsville,
where he was known for his quick wit and love of debate. He
served in the U.S. Army from 1957 until 1959. After his army
duty he enrolled in St. Mary's Law School, San Antonio, where
he graduated in 1962. Although he didn't have the money to
pay tuition he earned it by working in the cafeteria.
Upon graduation he practiced law in Harlingen for two years
then moved to Brownsville where he practiced for 11 years,
entering politics in 1971. Vela was a Brownsville City
Commissioner from 1971-73 and was elected state district
judge of the 107th court in 1975. In this capacity he
presided over cases in Willacy County as well as in Cameron
County.
In 1980 he was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a
federal judge seat in Brownsville being vacated by Judge
Reynaldo Garza. He was confirmed by the Senate later that
year and served until May 1, 2000 when he assumed senior
status.
My family has known the Vela family since 1948. Judge
Vela's brother, Moises, was my father's attorney and he was
my mother's attorney. Judge Vela honored my family by
swearing in my son, Dan, after he also graduated from St.
Mary's Law School and passed the state bar exam. And while he
was a student at St. Mary's, my son clerked for Judge Vela in
Brownsville.
Some 50 years ago, my brothers and I camped with Filemon
and Carlos Vela at Camp Perry, while in the Boy Scouts.
Recently Judge Vela hosted his 1949 St. Anthony School
graduating class and gave his fellow classmates a tour of the
new federal courthouse in Brownsville with dinner in
Matamoros.
Filemon Vela was a good lawyer, a good judge, a Christian
and a longtime friend. Our condolences go to his family,
wife, Blanca, a daughter, and his son, Filemon, Jr., an
attorney who practices in Corpus Christi.
The Editor

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa)
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R.
1402, the Garza-Vela United States Courthouse Designation Act offered
by my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz).
This bill pays tribute to two great men, Federal Judge Reynaldo G.
Garza and Federal Judge Filemon B. Vela, who were judicial legends in
South Texas.
Judge Garza was the Nation's first Mexican American Federal district
judge. Appointed to the Federal bench by President John F. Kennedy in
1961, Judge Reynaldo Garza served this Nation through the turbulent
years of the civil rights movement. His decisions contributed to the
changes that opened up many opportunities for minorities.
In 1976, President Carter asked him to serve as the Nation's Attorney
General, but he declined because he did not want to leave his beloved
South Texas and his service on the Federal bench.
He was committed to education, particularly in encouraging literacy,
and he was known to all for the even-handed way in which he dispensed
justice.
His last official act took place from his hospital bed when he
officiated at the swearing-in of his protege, Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa
as the new chairman of the Federal Sentencing Commission. When he
passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 89, I was privileged to join
the thousands of mourners in paying tribute to this outstanding and
extraordinary pioneer.
I offer his wife Bertha and all his children and grandchildren my
heartfelt condolences.
Judge Vela was nominated to the Federal bench by President Carter in
1980 and worked tirelessly to design and have built the new courthouse
in Brownsville. It is indeed fitting that his name will be on this new
Federal Courthouse.
Judge Vela, like his good friend Judge Garza, was known for his
impeccable integrity and fairness on the bench. He also was passionate
about teaching children about the law and the criminal justice system
in order to encourage them to make the right choices in life. He would
bring inmates to school to tell children about the mistakes they had
made and the consequences they suffered as a result.
Judge Vela was often heard on the radio giving advice and counsel to
parents and students on the importance of education. Like Judge Garza,
he was also a mentor to many others in his profession.
We lost Judge Vela earlier this year. He is survived by his beautiful
wife Blanca, and his three children, Filemon, Jr., Rafael, and Sylvia.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation in and
honor these two great Americans for their service to this Nation.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield such time as he may
consume to my friend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez).
Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
time, and I thank my colleagues for their assistance in getting this
piece of legislation to the floor, and I hope it will successfully pass
with very little difficulty.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the legislation, of course,
but I do want to remind individuals, and I will be quick, because I
know it has been a long evening and people have a lot of business, but
I think Judges Vela and Garza deserve 1 minute of praise and
recognition.
In 1961 when Judge Garza was first appointed, he was the first, as
has already been pointed out, Mexican American Hispanic to be appointed
to the Federal bench. It was the same year that my father was elected
and he was the first Hispanic from Texas to have been elected to this
House.
At that time, it was such a great celebration for all of us, but the
truth was, we knew that they were the first, but we did not know they
were not going to be the last. Things have not turned out that way,
thank God.
But truly, to honor their legacies, I had the great benefit of being
counseled and mentored and lectured to by both Judge Vela and Judge
Garza when I was a State district judge in Texas, and I know the
lessons that they imparted are still with me today, and they would
reverberate today in this Chamber if they had an opportunity to meet
with us, members of that other branch of government, the legislative
branch, they would remind us of that incredible but very important
balance and separation of powers. And their legacies will only be
recognized and their contributions will only be recognized to the
extent that the other two branches of government, the executive and the
legislative, understand their service in the context of this wonderful,
wonderful concept that we have here in the United States, in our
democracy, three equal branches of government, checks and balances and
separation of powers.
So I know if they were here today, they would say, ``Charlie, let us
do our job. Let us go ahead and review what needs to be reviewed.''
It is the collective wisdom of that branch of government that really
gives this Nation great guidance, as well as the leadership in this
House and the leadership in the White House.
So to judges Vela and Garza, to their families, proper recognition
tonight, but hopefully that in the future we honor their memory and
their hard work by respecting the work that they did within the context
of this wonderful framework called the United States of America.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support passage of the bill. I
again want to congratulate the gentlewoman from the District of
Columbia (Ms. Norton), and look forward to sporting a new Washington
Delegates baseball cap in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1402, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to
designate the United States courthouse located at the corner of Seventh
Street and East Jackson Street in Brownsville, Texas, as the 'Reynaldo
G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse'.''
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

____________________